Release Date: 03/02/11
BOOK BLURB:
The year is 1915 and sixteen-year-old Eliza Williams has just arrived at the Billings School for Girls, the sister school of Easton Academy, founded to turn girls into dutiful wives. Eliza's parents expect her to learn the qualities needed to be a graceful and obedient wife, but Eliza has a dangerous secret she's a witch! After finding a dusty, leather-bound spell book, Eliza forms a secret coven with eleven other Billings girls, disguising their gatherings as a literary society to keep their teachers from discovering the truth. Bonded in sisterhood, they cast spells - cursing the headmistress, giving blisters to boys with wandering hands and conjuring beautiful dresses out of rags. The girls taste freedom and power for the first time, but what starts out as innocent fun turns into something more sinister when one of the spells has an unexpected -- and deadly - consequence. Eliza realises that magic could bring her everything she's ever wanted but it could also destroy everything she holds dear. But is it too late to stop what she's started?
REVIEW:
To be honest this is the book that when I originally heard about it gave me goosebumps. This is purely for the fact that at times the series has taken a bit of a dive from the original releases and lost a lot of its lustre. That said however, I was a little apprehensive as I wondered if the author had left it a little late to reinvent and was possibly looking for an easy option to achieve the next release date. After all a chance to revitalise as well as reinvent doesn’t come around very often and with the chance to introduce new readers without them having read the other titles in the modern series left this more as a make or break type of title.
What originally will strike the reader with this book is that the characters are not only designed but fit into this world extremely well with traits that modern readers can associate with and when backed with some descent dialogue and a clear demonstration that the author plays for keeps, allows the reader to enjoy the whole story. The only real downside is the finish as it felt rushed and haphazard although with a bit of luck the author will return to play in the world of 1915 again.
Release Date: 02/09/10
BOOK BLURB:
After the initiation ceremony of Reed's newly created secret society, Noelle has disappeared and the only clue is a mysterious note. Is Reed's behaviour the cause or is there something more sinister happening? With the kidnapper warning of worse things to come if Reed tells anyone of Noelle's abduction, Reed realises it's up to her discover who has taken Noelle and to try and rescue her...before she becomes the next target.
REVIEW:
OK, this title is a little different to a lot of the Private titles already out there. For this reason it has gotten back more to the roots of the original premise and allowed the author a bit more freedom so that this title is different enough and therefore not a clone as some of the others have felt.
Whilst a number of people will wonder what the author is up to, it contains emotional conflict , friendships sorely tested with a twist that many won’t see coming. It’s definitely a title that has left me demanding the next time sooner rather than later. The only real quibble that I have, is to do with one of the task’s that Reed is charged to complete. It felt childish, it felt unnessesary and to be honest it felt that it was just there to help wad up some of the pages. With luck, the next title to feature Reed will solve the riddle on the task’s set but at the moment the reader is left a little up in the air.
Readers and fans of the series should be made aware that the next release will be a prequel but one with a major difference. So keep an eye out, if its as good as the excerpt it’s going to impress as well as satisfy many an established fan.
Release Date: 02/09/10
BOOK BLURB:
After the initiation ceremony of Reed's newly created secret society, Noelle has disappeared and the only clue is a mysterious note. Is Reed's behaviour the cause or is there something more sinister happening? With the kidnapper warning of worse things to come if Reed tells anyone of Noelle's abduction, Reed realises it's up to her discover who has taken Noelle and to try and rescue her...before she becomes the next target.
REVIEW:
OK, this title is a little different to a lot of the Private titles already out there. For this reason it has gotten back more to the roots of the original premise and allowed the author a bit more freedom so that this title is different enough and therefore not a clone as some of the others have felt.
Whilst a number of people will wonder what the author is up to, it contains emotional conflict , friendships sorely tested with a twist that many won’t see coming. It’s definitely a title that has left me demanding the next time sooner rather than later. The only real quibble that I have, is to do with one of the task’s that Reed is charged to complete. It felt childish, it felt unnessesary and to be honest it felt that it was just there to help wad up some of the pages. With luck, the next title to feature Reed will solve the riddle on the task’s set but at the moment the reader is left a little up in the air.
Readers and fans of the series should be made aware that the next release will be a prequel but one with a major difference. So keep an eye out, if its as good as the excerot it’s going to impress as well as satisfy many an established fan.
BOOK BLURB:
In the 11th Private Reed has arrived back to Easton after her harrowing kidnapping to the worst thing she can think of - Billings has been torn down. Finally, after years of controversy from the administration, the school's wealthiest female alumni have been overruled and the historical dorm is gone from Easton Academy. How will Reed and the rest of the Billings Girls handle this? Will they still be as powerful, as popular and as mean with literally no ground to stand on?
REVIEW:
To be honest a series that was reasonable but one that I really is loosing its polish fast. The characters are getting ridiculous, the plot outlines pretty repetitive and to be honest was a book that felt that it was taking too long to do anything when a lot of the points could have been reached quite quickly.
A great shame as the author had done so much to kick the series off originally but alas, I feel that she needs a new project rather than relying upon her name to sell inferior material where there are so many other up and coming authors producing superior writing.
Release Date: 03/02/11
